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. 2023 Dec 22;14(1):21.
doi: 10.3390/diagnostics14010021.

Validation of a Digital Headache Calendar at a Tertiary Referral Center

Amalie Kjerrumgaard  1 , Jeppe Hvedstrup  1 , Louise Ninett Carlsen  1 , Kristine Dyre  2 , Henrik Schytz  1
Affiliations

Validation of a Digital Headache Calendar at a Tertiary Referral Center

Amalie Kjerrumgaard et al. Diagnostics (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Headache calendars are essential tools in monitoring changes in headache frequency and type. They are used in clinical practice for long-term monitoring, but their validation remains limited. The aim of this study was to validate the use of a digital calendar in monitoring single migraine and tension-type headache attacks.

Methods: From July 2022 to February 2023, patients diagnosed with migraine and tension-type headache were enrolled. The validation of the digital calendar involved the comparison of self-reported single headache attacks in the digital calendar with the diagnostic headache diary based on the ICHD-3 criteria for migraine and tension-type headache. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to assess reliability, and the level of agreement was calculated using kappa statistics.

Results: This study included 30 patients (87% women) diagnosed with migraine and tension-type headache. The level of agreement in the classification of a single migraine attack revealed a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 78%, representing a substantial level of agreement (κ = 0.60). The classification of a single tension-type headache attack revealed a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 72%, with a moderate level of agreement (κ = 0.54).

Conclusions: The digital calendar proves effective in monitoring single headache attacks in patients with migraine and tension-type headache. In clinical practice, we recommend using the digital calendar as a monitoring tool for headache patients, as they can accurately identify true migraine and tension-type headache days.

Keywords: digital calendar; migraine; tension-type headache; validation study.

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Conflict of interest statement

L.N.C. has given lectures for Novartis, Allergan and TEVA, and has provided consulting advice to Lundbeck. H.S. has received personal fees from Novartis, Lilly, Allergan/AbbVie, Teva and Lundbeck and research support from Novartis. The additional authors had no conflicts of interest.

Figures

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Figure 1
Study flow chart.
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